Top Ten Reasons Why Daniel is Glad Vala Stayed
by Rac80
Summary: A companion to Vala's top 10. Why Daniel is glad Vala chose to stay on Earth. Total fluff.D/V all the way! Nominated for a 2011 Gatefic Award!


**Top Ten Reasons Why Daniel is Glad Vala Stayed on Earth**

**10. Coffee.** His liking for coffee was a joke around the SGC. All of his friends knew Daniel lived on coffee. But only Vala had cared enough to buy him a programmable coffee maker. She took the time to fill it with the proper amount of grounds and water and set the programming each evening so he would have hot fresh coffee when he walked into his office the next morning. Vala had gone to his favorite coffee shop and bought a supply of the blend he liked best, so the coffee in his office was perfect every day. She also added a snack refrigerator and a kept some packaged snacks on the shelf, so he never got too hungry. When he smelled the coffee every morning he was so glad Vala stayed.

**9. Nonsense chatter.** Daniel often worked until all hours; sometimes he even liked to feel that he was the only person alive on the base. Vala changed all of that. He would still work long hours, but she would be there listening to her iPod, chomping on her gum, and commenting under her breath about whatever she was reading. It didn't matter what she was reading, whether a Goa'uld text or a fashion magazine, her muttered comments were always disjointed. "Now who would wear that?" "Oh that isn't right!" "Somethin' to talk about". This chatter reinforced to Daniel that he wasn't alone anymore, he could look up and catch a glimpse of another person in his workspace. Having Vala there became more than a comfort, it became a reminder that there was more to life than work.

**8. Nose for treasure.** Vala could always be counted on to find a treasure, a map to treasure, or a fascinating artifact. She would start bouncing, ponytails going everywhere, next would come the excited squeal, and finally her triumphant smile as she held her treasure aloft. Vala could walk into a ruin and automatically tell if there were hidden entrances, secret chambers, or a treasure trove. She could spot a faked artifact at 500 paces and could see the value in items that others might overlook. She said she only did it see the excitement on his face, but Daniel knew better, his space pirate just loved treasure.

**7. Six Goa'uld Dialects. ** There were six rather obscure Goa'uld dialects that Vala fluently knew. Lately all of their artifacts seemed to encompass one of those. Daniel would keep Vala in his office as he tried to translate. She was very good with syntax and grammar and seemed to effortlessly translate these dialects. Vala realized that Daniel had requested all of these artifacts be given to him for translation, but she didn't mind. If she was going to sit in a dusty office, she wanted the pleasure of watching Daniel work. He said he didn't trust the other linguists to translate these correctly, but everyone at the SGC knew he liked keeping Vala close.

**6. Her flannel pajamas**. Daniel thought Vala's flannel pajamas were wonderful. They were very modest; no embarrassing glimpses of skin if she was running through the SGC corridors. They were very cute; she loved ones with silly pictures on them. They were obviously warm; she had stopped stealing his shirts and sweatpants to wear to bed. He thought the sight of her curled up on his sofa watching a movie in her pajamas was the sweetest thing. He even got brave enough to buy her some (not nearly as scary as going into Victoria's Secret would have been) and she had excitedly put them on. Yes, Vala's flannel pajamas were wonderful, especially when she cuddled up next to him on a cold winter's night.

**5. Her voice.** Jack would be the first to tell all who would listen that Daniel had a "thing" for accents. Daniel knew he did. All of the women he ever was involved with (of his own free will) had gorgeous accents. As a linguist, he realized it was a side effect of his work. When Vala would say "Daniel" in that accent of hers, he was halfway to giving her whatever she wanted. What the others didn't realize was that it was more than her accent; her voice was compelling as well. She would purr "Darling" and he was putty in her hands. The break in her voice whenever she mentioned Adria would bring him to her side to comfort her. Her voice was the indicator of her mood; it could tease and sparkle, be downright cold, or have a hint of sadness. All were aspects of his Vala that her voice would betray only to him.

**4. Her Intelligence.** Vala liked to say she didn't have book learning, she was street smart. Daniel didn't care how she learned what she did, he was simply amazed at the range of knowledge she had. From Goa'uld dialects, to various technologies, to cooking entire meals over a campfire, Vala's intellect astounded him. There didn't seem to be a ship she couldn't fly, a Goa'uld device she couldn't use, or an imposter she couldn't see through. Vala saved their butts more times than he could count. Daniel was amazed at how adaptable Vala was. She had fully adapted herself to Earth life, having learned the ins and outs of shopping malls, pizza places, credit cards (his), and eBay in record time. He only hoped their children would inherit her intelligence.

**3. Her teasing**. Daniel knew he tended to get too wrapped up in whatever he was working on at the time. He would forget to eat and sleep and ignore everyone around him, this had caused problems in his relationships with Sarah and Sha're, but not with Vala. Why not? Well, because Vala simply wouldn't let him ignore her. She would come bouncing into his lab and sit her lovely derrière on his desk, usually on his notebook and completely distract him from his work. She would sit there until he gave in and did what she wanted. Granted, it was usually to eat a meal, leave the base for a while, or even get some sleep. She didn't take his grumbles very seriously; she didn't seem intimidated or awed by him as the other two women had been. Sha're had tiptoed around when he was trying to translate the cartouches, Sarah had always watched him work as if waiting for some pronouncement from on high. Vala, well Vala would just tell him to "come and play" and forget that "silly stuff". Yep he needed her teasing to remind him that life was more than work.

**2. Her kisses.** Daniel knew about addiction, he had been addicted to a sarcophagus; he was addicted to coffee and chocolate. There was no doubt in Daniel's mind that he was addicted to Vala's kisses. She was an expert at kissing, all types. The sweet peck on the cheek, the kiss on the end of his nose, the long lusty kisses when she missed him, and the kisses that tore his beating heart out for her to feast on. She was flirtatious yes, but she always meant her kisses. Daniel found he would look at her lips and start remembering their taste, their feel, and have no other thought but to devour them. More than once he discovered that he stopped talking in a briefing and was gazing longingly at Vala's lips. Sam would chuckle, Cam would be mumbling that "Jackson was whipped….simply whipped", Teal'c would smile with satisfaction, and General Landry would simply roll his eyes. If Jack happened to be there, well there would be loud proclaiming for them to "get a room!" Vala would look at him with that little smile, the one that always made him blush. Yes, if Vala had left he would have missed her kisses.

**1.** **His Heart.** If Vala had chosen to leave the SGC, Daniel would have had to follow her for one simple reason: she had his heart. It is not surprising she had, after all she was a space pirate and thief. She had sashayed her way into his life and stolen his heart, the heart he had forgotten he even had. He didn't realize she had taken it until she disappeared into the Ori galaxy. When she had stolen the Al'kesh after trying to steal the Prometheus, he had felt a bit relieved she got away. He found himself looking for her each time they went through the gate. Then she came back to him, only to be lost again. He admitted to himself that she had his heart when the Trust kidnapped her. He only admitted to her that she had his heart after Baal's execution. When she returned from the Tok'ra's new home world, he cooked her a nice dinner, went down on one knee, and proposed. Vala's smile lit up his world when she said yes. He finally knew his heart was safe in her hands.


End file.
